Creator
John Muir
Recipient
[Charles Dwight] Willard
Transcription
[Rough draft of letter found in envelope dated Dec. 29, 1912].[Jan., 1913].[Charles Dwight Willard] Dear Mr. Willard:I treasure your noble letter as the best ofmy New Year blessings. I have been one of your many admirersfrom the first day we met, and admiration has been growing ever greater as I saw how bravely you held on your way againstdeadly odds, digging hard and deep for bed-rock foundations,making ladders out of disease and pain, climbing higher into thecalm heights of life, like God's strong aspiring pine trees,going straight to the heavens, nourished by their own decaying branches andleaves. The lesson of your life all should read, for in it there aresome of the finest and divinest things humanity has to show. Madeinto a book it could not fail to awaken and encourage many poordrowsy, forespent wanderers on Life's hard roads. For, as Thoreau well says, there are infinite degrees of life from that which is next to sleep and death to that which is ever awake and immortal.To all who know you, Mr. Willard, you are a hero. I admire and love you, and with warmest enthusiasm congratulate you on the victories you have won in these hard fought battles. May dear God guide and cheer and comfort you all the rest of your way home to the world of Light, so devoutly praysYour friend,John Muir06767V
John MuirDear Mr WillardI treasure your noble letter as the best of my new year blessings. I have been one of your many admirers from the first day we met, and admiration has been growing ever greater as I saw how bravely you held on your way against deadly odds digging hard and deep for bed-rock foundations, making ladders out of disease and pain, climbing higher higher into the calm heights of life like God's strong aspiring pine-trees going straight to the heavens, nourished by their own decaying brances and leaves.
The lesson of your life all should reaad for in it there are some of the finest divinest things humanity has to show. Made into a book it could not fail to awaken and encourage many poor drowsy farspent wanderers on life's hard roads.To all who know you, Mr Willard you are a hero. I admire and love you and with warmest enthusiasm congratulate you on the victories you have won in these hard fought life-battles.May dear God guide and cheer and comfort you all the rest of your way home to the world of Light. So devoutly prays your friendJohn Muir
Location
[Martinez, Calif.]
Circa Date
[1912 Dec 29]
Source
Original letter dimensions unknown.
Recommended Citation
Muir, John, "Letter from John Muir to [Charles Dwight] Willard, [1912 Dec 29]." (1912). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 6430.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/6430
Resource Identifier
muir20_1537-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 20, Image 1537
Collection Identifier
Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc
Copyright Status
Copyrighted
Copyright Statement
The unpublished works of John Muir are copyrighted by the Muir-Hanna Trust. To purchase copies of images and/or obtain permission to publish or exhibit them, see http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections/Fees-and-Forms-.html
Owning Institution
The Huntington Library, Muir Family Papers, HM 57349-57497. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Copyright Holder
Muir-Hanna Trust
Copyright Date
1984
Pages
4 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
